As Brits we buy more new clothes per person than in any other country across Europe. As a personal stylist it can be easy to get caught up with an industry that is always telling you "how to stay ' in season' with the latest trends." If you're anything like us and have been watching this series of Frozen Planet, you'd have been dumbstruck at the sheer volume in which our planet is deteriorating. It's alarming and a sad factor is the styling industry holds a responsibility.
According to the UN, 8-10% of global emissions and 20% of wastewater is made by the fashion industry. Committee chairwoman Mary Creagh from The British MP and Environmental Audit Committee announced that..
"...if current clothing consumption continues fashion will account for more than a quarter of our total impact on climate change by 2050...Doing nothing is not an option."
How do clothes affect climate change?
Clothing very often has a complex supply chain which can make it difficult to account for all the emissions used to make one coat or pair of jeans. You the have to look at how the clothes are transported and what happens to returns when a customer changes their mind about a purchase or wants to get rid of any old clothes. What makes the fashion industry really problematic to the environment is the fast pace in which the industry turns over clothes.
Let's take the big key player in fast fashion Boohoo for example; this huge online retailer uploads up to 300 pieces a day with reports that it's uploaded over 4,000 new pieces in one month.
Imagine filling up your bedroom with over 300 hundred pieces and what that would look like. Now imagine doing that every day!
The change within retailers
However, changes are happening. Yes, they may seem small in a industry that mass produces and with customers who mass consume to keep up with the latest trends but change is coming.Take Selfridges for example; in 2020 they launched Project Earth, a sustainability strategy that commits to the way they want their customers to shop and how they will do business. Selfridges are trying to be as transparent as possbile with their customers. You can read their 2022 sustainability report here
They have also pledged to have net zero emissions by 2040. Their stores are already powered by 100% green energy. They are making a continuous effort to drive down on waste and energy consumption and have retained the Carbon Trust standard for energy, water and waste since 2014.
Better ways to shop
Consumers, as well as personal stylists who shop for our clients, we have a responsibility to change the way we shop. Retailers are making it easier so we really need to embrace the change. Marks and Spencer promote their responsible sourced cotton range. You can rent an outfit for a special occasion from Selfridges, repair your treasured items and purchase pre loved items. And oh my gosh are there some beautiful pieces. Vintage 1997 Chanel bags in their Birmingham store had me in handbag heaven.
John Lewis have also promised to reduce their carbon emissions to zero by 2035. Electric vans are now being introduced across their fleet. They have also promised a 'buy back' or 'take back' scheme by 2025 and offer more rental and resale services in an effort to be more sustainable.
H&M have pledged to eliminate unnecessary plastic and problematic packaging in its consumer packaging by 2025. Their already successful conscious range, made from sustainably sourced materials is going from strength to strength, offering better quality products. You can also deposit any of your unwanted clothes at any of their drop off recycle bins in store and get a £5 digital voucher if you are a H&M member.
Beware of Greenwashing. How to spot it and how to avoid it.
It's non surprise the new buzz word within the industry is 'sustainability.' Retailers want to give you the impression they are conscious about the environment where in actual fact, it's being used as a clever marketing device to make you spend more. Let's take Bohoo again. Kourtney Kardashian has recently signed up to be the brands sustainability expert; launching a new range of 'sustainable clothing,' in a bid to make the brand appear more conscious about climate change. However the Kardashian range only holds 45 pieces; hardly much of a difference when there are 300 pieces being uploaded every day.
Our top tips
Look for stamps of approval on garments such as B Corporation or certifications such as Fair Trade.
Let's look at how much we're paying for items.
If your top is as little as ten pounds ( not including second hand price ) it may be worth thinking how much the workers have been paid, how much profit the business is making and what cheap materials are being used. The reality is more sustainable clothes are usually more £. Don't let that put you off! Think of cost per wear, the rule of three and less is more!
Don't overhaul or mass buy online!
Do not be tempted to overhaul! Mass buying from one brand to show the latest trends via social media only for them to be returned is so damaging. Every returned package leaves an emission trail, whether it is returned by land, sea or air. Its also reported that up to 10,000 TONS of returned goods end up in landfill every year and with up to 30-40% of clothes from online being returned the number is hardly surprising. Less than half of those returned also make it back on sale.
Think about how much you're returning.
The sad reality is after going through a pollution heavy process, most returned clothes end up in landfill rather than being resold. Why? Because it costs a business more money in warehouse space to hold the returned clothes, which in turn costs more in man hours than its worth. The result? Unworn clothes that end up in landfill. This is why now companies such a Zara, Uniqlo and Next are starting to charge their customers for returns.
Returns cost UK retailers around £60 billion annually, and a third of this is generated by online shopping. It's often cheaper to put them in landfill instead of reselling them.
Avoid impulse purchases.
One more time for the people at the back...we hate impulse purchases! You should all know the rule of three by now, and if not then come and have a chat with us. All clothes need to have a purpose in your wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe works because pieces go together with ease. There's a conscious decision that has been made about purchases in order for this to work. It doesn't happen by mistake. Think about how an item can belong in your wardrobe and what can you wear it with before deciding if it's a case of you NEEDING or WANTING it.
How to detox unwanted clothes in an ethical way.
1. Go to any of these recycled clothes bank on the high street.
Monki
John Lewis
Mango
H&M
Marks and Spencer
Primark
2. Sell online
Vinted
Vestiaire ( for designer and premium goods )
Facebook marketplace.
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